The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-07-07
CARRIER PIGEONS FOR WAR.
The Military Dove-cotes Of Germany.
France and Russia.

France and Russia.
The Germans were among the first 10 T.
tablish military pigeon-lofts, and their sys.
tenn is now the most complete in Europe.
The larger fortresses like Metz, Cologne and
strasbourg each has from 400 TO 900
well-trained birds; and the annual vote
OF credit for pigeon purposes in the mill
tary budget is $500. The commsndant
Of the place is responsible for the birds
being properly cared for and trained.
and they are in charge Of . nou-com-
missioned officer. who has under him
two private soldiers and keeper. Ree.
listers are kept giving full particulars CON.
cerning all the birds-the numbers stamped
ON them, their age SEX color, distinguishing
marks, and the different places from which
each has flown, together with notes on their
rapidity and reliability. Among the fortressss
tbnSa Thich were early stocked with birds were
Thon and Konigsberg; and others were
gradually atten ded to, until at the present
time it may be said that every part Of the
country is IN communication, either directly
pssoas pr nafe'tS wh nabsD hs eapt By means e
studded with lofts. they having been estab.
lished at Ton ming, Dantzig, Stettin and Kiel.
On the western frontier Cologne Is in direct
communicate on with Berlin, distance Of
~ sO miles, mil and is = transmitting Sta
and Metz also communicate with the capital
tn rough Wurzburg.
In France the vote of credit for the pigeon.
lofts is $20, 600. Ten stations have birds
trained from Paris and important towns at
E great distances communicate with the capt.
tai by intermediate stations. Thus Lyons
transmits to Paris by way of Langres, which
likewise communicates with Marseilies md
Pepignan. The military authorities have
power to requisition all lofts Of trained pig
cons belonging to private persons, and Q can.
census taken last year showed that in Paris
alone there were $500 birds available. Of
which !, ,788 had been well trained, and mieht
be relied upon as likely to "home." Were
iarls, therefore, ever again in danger of being
besieged, these, together with the birds kept
at the various outside stations about Greno-
bic, the Pyrenees, the Alps and the import
ant towns in the north and south OF the
country, would form q means of communi-
eating with the armies outside that might
play an important part in turning the tide
of the campaign.
Russia has recently voted sum OF $4,000
for the maintenance of military pigeon-lofts.
It being thought that in Afghanistan and
other distant parts pigeons might, under
certain circumstances, be the best means Of
securing the maintenance of communication.
AZ <AuStiidh SutuOritlcS appreciate the
usefulness of these messengers in mountain
districts, and at the present time they have
under consideration the question of establish
ing pigeon-lofts, in order to secure rapid
between the fortresses Of
The frontier and the mountain passes.
Tho Building Of the Pyramids.
One of the leading granite men Of the
country, who has made . personal inspec-
don Of the pyramids of EgyDt, says: .'There
ne blocks Of stone in the pyramids which
weigh three or four times Is much q the
'belisk. I saw Q Stone whose estimated weight
was $50 tons. The builders Of the pyramids
counted human labor lightly. They had
Irest masses Of subjects upon whom to draw,
ind most Of their work was done by sheer
manual labor and forcs There arc stOnes
n the pyramids thirty fest In length Which
It 80 closely together that you may rum PEN
.nife over the surface without discoyerinr
he break between them. They arc mot laid
With mortar either. There ID no machinery
o perfect that it will make two surfaces thirty
eet in length which will meet together In
nison as these stones in the pyramids meet.
hey were undoubtedly rubbed beck md
orth upon each other until the surfaces Were
to zach other n-ExeAnnns